The local Labour Parliamentary Candidate has pledged to fight the unfair Bedroom Tax affecting hundreds of families in Southend West.

Julian Ware-Lane said:

“The Bedroom Tax will cost people £4,200 in Southend West if the Tories win again. At the moment, 178 people are paying, but many more will be caught if the Tories win again. Labour has pledged to abolish the Bedroom Tax and only a Labour government will do this.

Helen Goodman MP, Shadow Minister for Welfare Reform, said:

“The government has imposed the Bedroom Tax on families who are already hard pressed to make ends meet. There aren’t enough smaller properties for people to move so even the government’s own studies show that people are having to cut back on household essentials to pay it. Only a Labour government will abolish the Bedroom Tax.”

Cllr Julian Ware-Lane has called on David Cameron to be open and honest with pensioners after new figures showed 670 pensioners in Southend West are set to receive a rise in the state pension of 87p.

On 4th December 2014 the government announced the state pension would rise by £2.85 a week. But in the following days ministers were forced to admit up to 1.6 million pensioners would see a rise of just 87p in their state pension income.

Julian said, “The government promised the state pension would rise by £2.85 in April next year but 670 pensioners in Southend West will receive a rise of just 87p. David Cameron’s government have not been open and honest with pensioners in Southend West about the state pension, saying one thing and doing another. It’s time for the government to treat Southend West pensioners with respect and be upfront about the value of their pensions.”

Labour’s shadow pensions minister, Gregg McClymont, said, “1.6 million pensioners who have done the right thing, worked hard and saved for a pension have been let down by the government. It’s time for David Cameron to come clean with pensioners in Southend West and across the country about the future value of their state pension.”

Who is affected?

People who claim the Savings Credit element of pension credit, which is being reduced.

Rather than being fair to a group of pensioners who have saved all their life to enjoy a little extra security in retirement, David Cameron’s government has instead penalised these savers for their thriftiness.

Here is the data showing the numbers subject to the Bedroom Tax in Essex for August for all eighteen Parliamentary constituencies in the glorious county of Essex. I have ordered them with those having the highest numbers at the top.

Constituency

Reduction applied

No reduction applied

Not applicable – private rented

Thurrock

898

5868

3612

Basildon and Billericay

765

4869

1529

South Basildon and East Thurrock

740

4625

2254

Harlow

728

6386

1852

Rochford and Southend East

574

5197

6547

Colchester

567

5276

3207

Braintree

418

3624

1686

Chelmsford

401

4237

1545

Witham

358

2989

1270

Epping Forest

342

3746

1551

Clacton

293

2439

6251

Saffron Walden

284

2999

1049

Brentwood and Ongar

260

2975

1193

Maldon

236

2271

1507

Harwich and North Essex

227

2179

2511

Southend West

178

1920

3874

Castle Point

161

1406

2938

Rayleigh and Wickford

128

1709

1519

Whilst Southend West is towards the bottom of this list, 178 households who have had their Housing Benefit reduced because they are considered under-occupied is 178 too many in my opinion.

Parliamentary Candidate Julian Ware-Lane is urging MPs from all parties to back Labour’s attempt to scrap the Bedroom Tax by Christmas. Labour has forced a debate and vote in parliament on Wednesday 17th December on the Bedroom Tax.

Since the Bedroom Tax was introduced around half a million low-income households have been forced to find, on average an extra £700 a year. In Southend West 178 people have been hit by the Bedroom Tax.

Cllr Julian Ware-Lane said: ‘This winter 178 people in Southend West will struggle to make ends meet, many relying on food banks to survive because of the Bedroom Tax David Cameron and Nick Clegg’s government introduced in April 2013. The Bedroom Tax is wasting people’s money, time and talents, it’s another example of Tory Welfare Waste.

‘This Wednesday Labour is forcing a vote to scrap this failing policy once and for all. I urge MPs from all parties to do the right thing and back Labour’s attempt to scrap this cruel and unfair tax.”

Rachel Reeves said: “Around half a million people have been hit by the Bedroom Tax, forcing many into debt and to rely on food banks. It’s a cruel, unfair and costly tax with two thirds of those affected are disabled. Let’s scrap the Bedroom Tax and get rid of this failing policy which is leading to more Tory Welfare Waste.”

1. Latest DWP figures on number of people hit by the Bedroom Tax:
NORTH EAST – 36,126
NORTH WEST – 74,031
YORKSHIRE AND HUMBER – 46,591
EAST MIDLANDS – 31,645
WEST MIDLANDS – 46,573
EASTERN – 30,036
LONDON – 48,247
SOUTH EAST – 32,232
SOUTH WEST – 24,896
WALES – 31,217
SCOTLAND – 70,291
TOTAL – 471,887

Labour MPs have won a victory in Parliament against the coalition’s Bedroom Tax. Andrew George’s private member’s bill, backed by Labour MPs, could be the first step to ending the misery inflicted on the poor and vulnerable.

In the East of England region, over 30,000 people have been impacted by the Bedroom Tax, but in too many cases there simply aren’t smaller houses for tenants to move into. In other cases the disabled face being forced from adapted homes into unsuitable accommodation.

Julian Ware-Lane, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Southend West, said: “I have seen first-hand the misery the Bedroom Tax has caused, often forcing very ill people into making very difficult choices. It is an unfair policy that causes misery to thousands of people. This vote will not abolish the Bedroom Tax, but it is a step in the right direction and a glimmer of hope for many.”

“The Liberal Democrats voted with Labour on this occasion. However, the Bedroom Tax exists because the Liberal Democrats backed the Conservatives when it was passed into law. Only by electing a Labour Government next year can we guarantee that the Bedroom Tax is repealed.”

Those who cheat must be punished. Obvious. Somehow, though, it seems to depend on what type of cheat you are. The media appears to revel in the telling of those who swindle the benefits system. This does matter, every penny of tax dishonestly acquired denies that penny to the truly deserving, or to the NHS, education, etc. However, to butcher a Stalin maxim, to cheat a penny is a tragedy, to steal a million is a statistic.